Going Steady: New Singles 1-27-23 – 2-2-23 Reviewed
Baby Lay Your Head Down – Aly & AJ – singer songwriter Duo and all super sweet if nothing much – B-
Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – Bzrp – Shakira freestyled over Bzrp and went viral while hitting her ex viciously – B+
Rats – Bobby Shmurda – Bobby Schmurda is to gangs what Frank Sinatra was to the mafia except Bobby actually joined them – B+
Two Tens (feat. Anderson .Paak) – Cordae – produced by J. Cole, Cordae is in the clubs with Paak and is wondering why while his buddy is pursuing women to the sound of boom bap – B-
JOC IN ’06 – DaBaby – he might not be all the way, not close, but if hip hop heads gere this they’ll love it… B
Regret Me – Daisy Jones & The Six -an upcoming American streaming television miniseries about a fictional 70s SoCal rock band featuring Elvis Presley’s granddaughter as the Stevie Nick like character and Blake Mills responsible fortune cookie cutter songs like this – C
Do You Like Me? – Daniel Caesar – he came up the ranks with H.E.R. as a manifestation of r&b informed but not beholding to modern hip hop, this tasteful if boring track
Madman’s Eyes – Dave Matthews Band – DMB are the jam band who have stopped making new fans although this soulful psychedelia is quite good if only Dave wasn’t such a whiner – B
HOUSE OF CARDS – Kevin Shields Rainbow Belts Remix – Eyedress – MBVer Kevin widens Eyedress’ sound with a soothing palette that thickens the sound with swirling synth – A-
Heartbreak Feels So Good – Fall Out Boy – the video is an awesome prank gone wrong (see the video below) and the song proforma FOB – B
Martin’s Sofa – Headie One – the UK drill giant looks back at his Poverty stricken youth as he moves up from a sofa in a council flat – B+
sAy sOMETHINg – Lil Yachty – we should have seen this common (Weezy sure did) but now it is clear: Rock and hip hop are so entangled we are on the verge of a new species for sulky teens – B
Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs – Combs deals himself a hand after being dealt out by new kids like Morgan and Zach though the wise “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old’” is a true return – B+
Body Better – Maisie Peters – the UK own a franchise on pixie power and here the clever clever is equal parts bubblegum and synthy come round here – B
Made You Look (feat. Kim Petras) – Meghan Trainor – the remix of her return to doo wop and the addition of this year’s model can only help – A-
Sure Thing – Miguel – after going head to head w -ith The Weeknd thru 2015, Miguel couldn’t maintain it and this difficult to enjoy R&B – C+
Almost Everything – Mudhoney – the “Touch Me I’m Sick” guys sound the same grungecore of punk as transferable rock vibes though the soun,d is thicker if not heavier – B
TRUSTFALL – P!nk – electronic pop with a stainless hook on a rare goodie – B+
Sucka Or Sum – Rae Sremmurd – nothing much from the brothers with a quietly bummer track and it is no black beatle – C+
PANTIES Y BRASIERES – Rauw Alejandro & Daddy Yankee – DY has just retired, RA is dating Rosalia, so consider this the changing of the guard reggaeton style with a side of Latin trap – B+
You Only Love Me – Rita Ora – we’ve been hearing plenty of featured appearances but no major work since 2018, till this middling Cardigans rip – B-
LLYLM – Rosalia – “LLYLM” (an acronym of “Lie Like You Love Me” ) should shove her all the way to Shakira and J. Lo land, Spanish artists a step ahead of the Becky Gs. Using, and not for the first time, a taste of flamenco at the start, the song is automatic for the people and the secret ingredient is Max Martin buddy Shellac who rubs the entire tracks of anything not needed and all you get is musical nirvana. The intro is a feint before Rosalia begins singing and the beats enrapture her – B+
Selfish – slowthai – the UK rapper channels King Krule but noisier and just as weird – A-
